Chapter 33
Bayleigh
I barely register the drive at all. The only thing I can focus on once I get in the truck is the tightness in my throat and the way my eyes keep blurring no matter how many times I blink.
Lincoln sits with me in the back seat, his arms wrapped around my shoulders tightly, his lips resting on the top of my head.
I’m surrounded by all of their scents—sandalwood, peach, grapefruit—each of them calming and soothing.
Benton’s words were harsh. Horrible, even.
I can’t stomach the fact he was able to say them at all to me.
He’s my brother. He’s supposed to be the one who always has my back.
. I get that he doesn’t like Korbin, and he has his reasons, but Lincoln’s not his brother.
Yeah, Korbin was with us, but that’s to be expected with them being brothers and all.
What am I supposed to say? If you want to date me, he has to go?
I’d be no better than Benton. And if I’m being honest, I enjoyed being with Korbin tonight, too.
By the time we pull up to their house, my heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my fingertips. My hands tremble as I sit up, and Lincoln opens the door, getting out before reaching in and taking my hand in his.
His brows pull together. “Bayleigh… Come on, Baby, I got you. We got you.” His lips move slowly as he pronounces each word clearly so I can read his lips.
The invitation is soft, not a command or demand, but my body moves anyway, taking what he is so willingly giving to me.
My feet touch the ground, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders again, guiding me to the porch.
Lincoln only stops long enough to open the door before we step inside.
I’m immediately hit with warmth. A sense of security and safety swallows me whole.
Lincoln rests his hand gingerly between my shoulder blades, guiding me gently into the living room.
I feel his presence beside me before I see him—quiet but solid.
Korbin.
He doesn’t say anything. Just sits down on the chair that’s kitty-corner from the couch, his face in perfect view for me to read his lips if he were to speak.
And then just beyond him, from the kitchen doorway, stands Milton.
Lincoln taps me on my shoulder, and I turn to face him.
“Do you want something to drink? Water? Wine? Hot tea?”
Do I want something? Tonight had been so perfect, and then my brother went and ruined it.
I drop my head, my eyes focusing on my hands that are clasped in my lap. I gnaw on the inside of my cheek as I debate, then I sign.
Wine. Please.
But I know Milton and Korbin don’t sign. Does Lincoln understand? I quickly turn to him.
“Sorry, babe. I only got please. I don’t know what else you said.”
I reach into my purse and pull out my phone and open the note app and type.
Wine. Please.
Milton moves over beside me, taking my phone from my hands and tapping out a response.
White or red?
He hands it back to me.
White.
I hold up the phone, turning the screen toward him.
“On it, Beautiful.” He stands and rushes off to the kitchen. The whole time Korbin is just staring at me. I scoot closer to Lincoln, needing to have his scent on me. To feel him close to me.
I rest my head on his shoulder as his arm slips around me. His other hand finds mine as he rubs his fingers across mine.
Each touch is intimate, but caring. Never pushing for more than I’m willing to give.
A few minutes later, Milton returns with a glass of wine and three bottles of beer in hand. He hands a beer to Korbin and Lincoln and then hands me my wine before sitting down next to me. I can’t help but smile at how close he sits, even though there’s plenty of space.
My eyes lock with his, and he speaks.
“Here you go. I can see why Lincoln’s learning sign language. I’m going to check into that class too,” Milton says slowly, my eyes following the words dripping from his lips.
I quickly type a message on my phone, feeling Lincoln’s breath on my neck as he leans in closer to see what I’m typing.
Yeah. It would be quicker than having to type, show you, give you the phone, erase my message then type again. Not to mention, it would be easier when we’re all together.
I don’t know why I mentioned the part about us all being together. It just feels right being here with the three of them. A piece of me wonders if they feel that way too.
“There’s my girl. I knew you had a fiery side to complement your sweet, caring one.” Milton tosses me a wink, and I can feel the heat creep up my neck straight to my face.
It was such a ridiculous attempt at humor that I let out a broken laugh—just an exhale, really, but enough for Milton to grin triumphantly.
“I knew…liked… best,” he murmurs, his lips not forming each word clearly, so I only understood bits of what he’s saying. I cock my head to the side as my brows pull together in confusion.
Picking up my phone, I type quickly, but once again Lincoln, being nosy, reads my message as I write it. He places his hand on mine as he tilts my head toward him.
“I got this. I’ll tell him.”
He leans forward and reaches across me with his arm before smacking Milton playfully against the head. He turns his head toward me, so I can see what he says, even though his words are directed at Milton. Maybe even Korbin.
“Speak clearly, Numbnuts. If you mumble, look away, speak too fast or not clearly, she can’t understand.”
Milton reaches out, his hand cradling my cheek as he turns my head to face him.
“I’m sorry. I’ll try hard not to screw up again. If I do, just smack me.” Milton drops to the floor in front of me with a dramatic groan, but making sure he’s facing me and speaking clearly. “Don’t mind me, just doing my nightly stretching routine. Super athletic. Very impressive.”
He doesn’t stretch a single muscle. Instead, he rests his forearms on the edge of the couch near my knees—close enough I can feel his steady warmth as his grapefruit scent envelops me.
It grounds me.
But not just his scent. All three of theirs.
I’m not sure what’s happening between the three of us, but I know everything is about to change.
Korbin leans back in the chair, legs stretched out in front of him, arms crossed, face unreadable except for his eyes—soft, guarded, but impossibly attentive.
The three of them helped me tonight. Took me in when I needed someplace to go. They didn’t have to. But they did.
I force my hands to move, fingers shaking.
Thank you.
My eyes shift to Lincoln, the only one who knows what I signed. I’m sure he’s covered it in his class. It’s one of the first they teach.
Lincoln gives me a soft smile, then speaks. “She says thank you, but, Bayleigh, there’s nothing to thank us for. How about we get comfortable, watch a movie with the captions and relax. Take your mind off things. Tomorrow we’ll talk about what happened with your brother.”
He’s so mad.
I hold out the phone, taking my time to show each of them. Korbin pulls his phone from his pocket and quickly types.
He’s not mad at you. It’s me he’s mad at.
That I was there. That Lincoln is my brother.
Our history with Gina. I thought she was my omega.
The one I was supposed to spend my life with.
Then she dumped me just like she did him for someone else.
She was just a gold digger. Nothing more.
This beef between the two of us should have been squashed long ago.
Both of usare just too proud and bullheaded to let it go.
He hands his phone to me, and I take my time reading every word. He’s telling me things that I never expected. Milton and Lincoln both lean in reading as well, as Korbin rolls his eyes at them.
Lincoln taps my leg, and I look up as he speaks to his brother. “It’s about damn time. I don’t know what made you come to that revelation, but halle-fucken-lujah.”
The laugh erupts. Soft at first. Then I try to stifle it, my hand covering my mouth.
My eyes drift over to Korbin, who's flipping him off, but smiling at the same time.
Milton takes hold of my feet, slipping off my shoes as Lincoln pulls a blanket from the back of the couch and places it on my lap. He picks up the remote and starts flicking through movies before settling on The Playdate, then turns on the subtitles.
Milton pops up suddenly and speaks. “Oh! One sec.” He dashes down the hall and returns with an oversized black hoodie. “Here. It’s cozy. Like me.”
I bite my lower lip as I reach out and take it from him, tugging it over my head, the fabric enveloping me like a hug. I inhale deeply—grapefruit and ginger.
We all get comfortable and watch the movie. I pull my legs up, resting my head on Lincoln’s shoulder.
Milton reaches out, pulling the blanket over my feet.
My eyes become heavy, and I have to fight to keep them open.
I must have drifted off, because the next thing I know my toes are tucked underneath Milton’s thigh.
His warm hand is resting on my ankle, over the blanket, like a silent, wordless promise.
Korbin’s still in the chair, his head fallen to the side, eyes closed, sleeping soundly.
I shift my head, looking over at Lincoln, who's fast asleep. His chest softly rising and falling.
“Go back to sleep,” Milton mouths when my eyes drift back over to him. And I do.
The next time I wake, there’s just enough light flickering from the television that I can make out where I am and who’s with me. My body’s been shifted, my head now resting on a pillow. Lincoln’s on the other end of the couch, his eyes half open as he gazes at me with a smile.
Korbin is stretched out in the recliner, and the corners of my mouth tug up as I laugh. My eyes scan the room, wondering where Milton is until I look down at the floor.
Milton's on the floor near my feet, curled up like a cat, strands of hair spilling over his forehead, hands tucked under his head. He’s fast asleep.
My throat tightens again, but not for the same reason as earlier.
It’s because all three of these men stayed close to me. They could have gone to bed, but they didn't. Instead, they chose to sleep in awkward positions, uncomfortable, just to be near me because I needed them.
Lincoln stirs, sitting up. “Hey, you okay?”
I shift upright a little and lift my hands. Lincoln notices the movement first—he always does—which pulls the other two out of their half-asleep haze.
Slowly, I sign. Why are you all here?
Lincoln leans forward so he’s square in my line of sight, making sure he reads every shape my fingers make. A sleepy, crooked smile tugs at his mouth.
“We’re here because you are,” he says simply.
Milton reaches up, his hand taking hold of my foot, pulling my attention. “You’re ours,” he says, before slipping back into half-consciousness.
My eyes shoot to Korbin. He doesn’t move, but he does speak. “Because you don’t get to go through anything alone. Not anymore.”
My breath catches.
My hand shakes as I sign.
Thank you.
I seem to be saying that a lot with these three.
Lincoln sits up, leaning toward me, takes my covers and my trembling hands with his, stilling them.
“Anytime. We mean it, Bayleigh.”
For the first time… I believe them. All three of them.